MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Express Consignment Facility says they intercepted 42 pallets containing a total of 1,134 fraudulent gas engines on Jan. 23.

The engines, which came from China, had an appraised value of $1.34 million.

Each pallet contained 27 gas engines and was heading to various businesses across the U.S. The engines were seized for not providing the proper documentation and were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

“I’m extremely proud of the diligent and professional work of CBP officers and import specialists who applied their keen knowledge and expertise to effectively target, identify and hold these suspicious shipments,” said LaFonda D. Sutton Burke, the Chicago Field Office director in a statement.

“This is an unusual seizure, but a critically important one, and our officers once again show how their training and skill enables CBP to be a strong frontline of defense against faulty goods that can endanger the lives of innocent citizens.”

CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo at U.S. ports of entry. They look for illegal drugs, unreported cash, weapons, counterfeit products, banned agricultural items, and other dangerous goods. These efforts help protect public safety, U.S. businesses, and the country’s economy, officials said.